Inevitable
by silvercastles
Summary: After Rachel leaves him broken hearted at Nationals, Jesse plans to get his life back on track. Just when he thinks he's got everything figured out, fate has a funny way of throwing him back towards his past.
1. Chapter 1

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. He looked at Rachel. Devastation was apparent on the petite girl's face, but Jesse couldn't help but feel a bit smug.

_That's what happens. I told them, that kiss was common and vulgar. _

He expected her to turn to him, look him in the eye, say something, offer any kind of closure after her apparent decision. Instead, she was burying her face into Finn's broad chest, his oafish arms enveloping her in a hug. That's when Jesse started to run.

He didn't know where he was going, or why he was running instead of calmly walking away from the competition venue, but he swore to himself that he wasn't going to stop until he was far, far away from there. Far away from Rachel, Finn, and their sorry excuse for a show choir who thought they could waltz into Nationals without having written, much less practiced, any songs. As he reached the sidewalk outside, he suddenly remembered someone else who happened to be competing at Nationals.

_Shit. She's going to kill me. _

Rushing back inside, he scanned the crowd for the familiar head of curls, until he finally saw her—in a small huddle with her teammates, a huge smile plastered on her face.

"Ella! Hey, Ella!" He jogged over to the younger girl with his showface firmly in place.

"Jesse!" she squealed, throwing her arms around him. "Did you see? We placed! We're in the final ten!" She was bouncing so much that sequins were beginning to fall off of her gaudy, typical show choir dress.

Jesse gave a genuine smile. "That's terrific, Ella. I'm so proud of you."

He hadn't seen his sister since Christmas. She'd been attending a boarding school in California since her freshman year, due to Jesse's urging to get as far away from Vocal Adrenaline as she possibly could—before it was too late.

"I didn't know you were coming! Mom and Dad didn't even come, not like that's much of a surprise, but I definitely didn't expect to see you here!" She was still bouncing up and down.

Jesse's expression darkened. "I didn't expect myself to be here either, honestly. I actually need to talk to you about what's been going on. I've been back in Ohio for the past few weeks—"

"In Akron?" She gave a confused frown. "I know you weren't visiting Carmel. What's there to do in Akron?"

"Not Akron. Lima."

She looked more confused than ever. "Lima? Is Uncle Drew okay?"

"He's fine. Listen, Ella—remember how I told you that last year I transferred for while?"

"Oh my God." she cut him off. He saw her mind turning as she put the pieces together.

"William McKinley High School. I _knew _it sounded familiar, but I couldn't remember why. That was her wasn't it? Their lead?"

It was apparent that Ella had witnessed The New Directions' performance.

He nodded grimly. "Yeah. That's her."

She threw her arms around him again.

"Jess…I'm so sorry."

He returned her embrace and sighed.

"Want to get out of that hideous dress? Let's grab dinner and I'll catch you up on everything."

A couple hours later, the St. James children were seated at their favorite New York bistro, engrossed in conversation. By the time Jesse was finished recounting everything, Ella was fuming.

"But how could she do that? You told her that she was more important to you than fame! And that other guy can't even sing!" Frustrated, she crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's always been him. I was always just a second choice."

"Stop saying that. She's an idiot if she doesn't want you."

Jesse just shook his head. "I don't know what to do. I failed at college. I failed at winning Rachel back. I failed as a show choir consultant—although that part was really due to them ignoring everything I said. What do I do now?" He looked into his coffee and sighed.

"Jesse…are you seriously asking yourself that? Look around you."

Jesse looked up at her, confused.

She rolled her eyes. "Everything happens for a reason. Fate put you through all of that and left you here—in New York City. This is what you're supposed to do."

He looked at her skeptically. "And what exactly am I supposed to do here? Landing a job on Broadway is hard, Ella."

"Go back to school. Tisch, Julliard—they'd be lucky to have you."

He gave a frustrated sigh. "In case you forgot, I flunked out of UCLA. Do you really think either of those schools is going to accept me as a transfer student?"

"Who said anything about transferring? Take some time off and apply as a freshman in the fall."

Jesse frowned. "Can I even do that?"

Ella shrugged. "I'm not sure, actually. Dad has friends on the admissions boards for both schools, though. You could give them a call and ask."

Jesse smiled at his sister. For a sophomore, she was incredibly wise. "Thank you."

She returned his smile and took a sip of her coffee. "Now—let's talk about what you're going to do in the meantime."

For the entirety of the summer, Jesse worked. He took as many shifts as he could at the local music store in Akron, giving piano lessons to children and working the cash register.

When August rolled around, he placed calls to his father's friends at Julliard and Tisch—and was elated when both told him it was possible for him to apply as an incoming freshman, though they offered no guarantees on his acceptance. Jesse spent night after night for four weeks working on his applications, pouring his heart out into essays and triple checking every piece of information. After much reassurance from Ella, he submitted them and waited. He thought his heart would burst when both schools contacted him to come audition. After much preparation, Jesse poured his soul into both auditions, ultimately performing both of them perfectly.

The first week of April, Jesse was on edge. He had trouble sleeping and could barely eat anything. In the next two weeks, his fate would be decided for him.

Ella had just gotten out of her last class of the day when her phone rang.

"Jesse?"

"I got in! Ella, they accepted me! Both of them!" Ella's mouth dropped open as she listened to Jesse laugh and praise a God that Ella knew he didn't believe in.

"Oh my God!" Ella bounced up in down in the courtyard outside her school building, much like she had done almost a year ago when she had seen Jesse at Nationals.

"Which one are you going to choose?"

"I'm not even thinking about that right now, Ella. All that matters is that I did it! I'm going back to school, and I'm not screwing it up this time. I'm going to make my dreams come true."

Ella laughed. "See, you shouldn't have doubted yourself. It was an inevitability."

With that last word, Jesse's smile faltered. His thoughts immediately snapped to Rachel—the girl he hadn't thought about in almost six months. He had spent much of his time convincing himself that he was over her—it was time to focus on him, on school, on New York. But what was Rachel doing in the fall? He knew it was her dream to move to New York for college, and she'd have no trouble getting into either Julliard or Tisch. No matter which school Jesse chose, he had a 50/50 chance of having Rachel Berry as his classmate next year. He mentally kicked himself for not having seen this coming.

"I'll call you later once I've decided, okay?"

After he said goodbye to his sister, he sighed and sat down on his bed. His entire New York plan was supposed to be about forgetting Rachel and moving on.

_An inevitability. _

If there was one thing that was inevitable now, it was that Jesse would never escape Rachel Berry.

**A/N: This is my first fic, so go easy on me! Next chapter will have plenty of Rachel, and if you're lucky, some St. Berry interaction! ;) **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for the positive feedback! :) This update is later than I had hoped (I've been in NYC for the past few days, visiting NYU actually) but here's chapter two! **

"I'm going to die."

"Rachel, I can't feel my hand." Kurt Hummel winced as his best friend sat staring at her open laptop while simultaneously cutting off his circulation.

"I can't breathe, Kurt. Once I type in my password, I'm going to know my fate. What if I didn't get in?"

Kurt rolled his eyes at Rachel's dramatics. "Rachel, we both know that there's no way in hell you didn't get in. You nailed your audition, your grades and test scores were nearly perfect, and you made me read your short answer statements about 500 times. Just type in the damn password."

They were seated in the middle of the Lima Bean, both with their laptops open to their respective Gmail accounts—Kurt's password was already typed in. He was waiting for his fellow diva's cooperation before he hit 'enter'. Today was judgment day.

"Okay, on the count of three, we hit enter. Ready?"

Kurt rolled his eyes once again. "As I'll ever be."

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three."

There was a moment of silence as emails were opened and read.

_Kurt,_

_Congratulations! We are pleased to offer you acceptance to NYU's Tisch School of the Arts!_

Kurt didn't even bother reading the rest of the email—he thought his face might break from the smile that had formed, but it faltered slightly when he looked to meet his best friend's eyes.

Rachel wasn't beaming like he had expected her to, instead her mouth was wide open, a look of shock evident upon her face. Kurt's heart stopped. _Is this really happening? Were the admissions directors insane?_

"Rachel…Rachel, honey, look at me. What does the email say?" he was coaxing her gently, not wanting to be the victim of a Rachel Berry tantrum, especially not in the middle of his favorite coffee shop.

"I…I…" This was the first time he had seen Rachel rendered truly speechless. It was extremely unnerving.

Kurt reached to place a sympathetic hand on her back.

"I got in."

Kurt's hand stopped in midair as he processed what she had just said.

"Wait, what? Then why are you acting like someone just insulted Patti Lupone?" He grabbed Rachel's laptop screen so he could read the email for himself, and sure enough, an identical acceptance was sitting in her inbox. He returned his attention back to her face.

"Kurt…this is really happening. We're really going to New York." She was tearing up.

Kurt pulled her into a hug. "Yes, Rachel. We're going. We did it."

When she pulled away, Kurt was met with her familiar, larger than life smile.

"I've never been so happy, Kurt! I've got to go home and tell my dads, they won't believe it! I'll call you later, okay? I love you!" Rachel grabbed her laptop and practically sprinted towards the door.

"Rachel! Rachel, wait! Why don't we go over to my house so we can both tell Finn the good news?"

Rachel's smile faded. _Finn. _She hadn't exactly figured out what she was going to do about the Finn situation—they had managed to stay together and away from drama all year, but all she had thought about for months was the expiration date that their relationship wore. Finn had proven to be an excellent boyfriend this time around—he called when he said he would, he held the door for her, he walked her to class—but she couldn't help but feel that everything they did together was so forced, so unnatural. She had made it clear that once they had graduated, she had every intention of going to New York and never looking back—Finn or no Finn. Now that she was actually accepted, the expiration date suddenly seemed much more real.

"I'll come over later tonight, okay? You can go ahead and tell him for both of us though." She waved goodbye to Kurt and made her way to her car, softly humming to herself. Once she pulled into her driveway, she thought she might explode from happiness. She entered the house to find her fathers enjoying a cup of tea in the living room.

"Dad? Daddy? I have big news." She was having a hard time containing her excitement.

They looked up expectantly, smiling at their daughter. "What is it, Rachel?"

Almost immediately after she had uttered the good news, she was enveloped into a giant group hug, followed by exclamations of joy and pride. After a celebratory dinner, Rachel excused herself and made her way over to Kurt and Finn's house, feeling more nervous than she had expected. She was met at the door by a beaming Carole, who pulled her into a congratulatory hug—Rachel had lost count of how many she had received that day.

She made her way down to the basement, where she found Finn and Blaine on their usual spots on the couch. The two boys jumped up upon her entrance, each offering hugs and words of congratulations—though Finn's lacked much enthusiasm. She gratefully accepted Blaine's hug, but hesitantly returned her boyfriend's embrace.

Sensing the tension in the room, Blaine excused himself to see what was taking Kurt so long with the drinks he was getting from the kitchen.

"So. Congratulations." Finn began sullenly.

"Thank you, Finn. Why are you so upset?"

"Because Rachel…I'm happy for you, I am…but…I can tell that you think this is the end of us. I'm not ready for it to be the end though. We have so much here, Rachel. Here, in Lima. I don't see how you can just get up and leave that all behind."

Rachel studied his face. _Is he joking? _

Trying to keep her composure, she took a deep breath before beginning what was sure to be a lengthy speech.

"Finn, I thought I made it clear at the end of last year that upon graduating, I would be pursuing my dreams in New York. I thought you understood that. I'm going to NYU, Finn. This isn't about us, or you. This is about me, and about what I've been working for all these years. I'm sorry if you misunderstood, but this is how it has to be."

Finn pursed his lips together, obviously hurt by what Rachel had just told him. He couldn't grasp how some school was more important to her than he was. Normally Rachel thought he was God of the earth—why the hell was she suddenly not as interested?

"But didn't you get enough of the spotlight here, with Glee? You got every single solo you wanted this year! Ohio State has a performing arts department too, you know. I don't understand why you need to go so far away to be a star when you can do it right here."

Rachel was getting angry. "Finn, New Directions didn't even make it to Regionals this year, thanks to the swine flu. I never had my chance to be a star! I had it a year ago at Nationals, but _you_ ruined it for me! I thought then that it was okay because we still had senior year, but I was wrong! I need this, Finn! Broadway is in New York, not Ohio! I can't stay here anymore!"

She was yelling. Finn was fuming.

"Fine, go to New York!" he spat. "See if I even care! I know you're selfish Rachel, but I never knew you could be this cruel."

Rachel was in tears. _Why is he being so mean? _

"Goodbye, Finn." She sprinted up the stairs, tears streaming down her face. She bumped into Kurt and Blaine in the kitchen, where they were waiting with open arms, having heard everything from upstairs.

"Rachel, I'm so sorry. Don't let him ruin this for you. You just bruised his ego, he'll get over it. You guys will be fine tomorrow." But Rachel shook her head. 

"No, Kurt, we won't be fine. It's over, for good. That's how it needs to be." She choked out. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Kurt nodded sadly as he watched his friend walk to her car. It was times like these when he really hated his stepbrother.

xxx

Three weeks later, Ella's phone rang during her lunch hour.

"Jesse?"

"I've decided."

Ella smiled. "And?"

"Turns out Julliard is really stingy on financial aid—so you're talking to a member of NYU class of 2016!"

Ella beamed. "Jesse, that's great! Congratulations. But isn't NYU just as stingy with their money?"

"I thought so too, but it turns out when you really impress the admissions panel, they give you anything you ask for. And in my case, more—I've got a full ride."

Ella could almost hear Jesse smirking through the phone.

"Well then. You've certainly given me some big shoes to fill."

Jesse laughed. "I actually have a proposition for you. Accepted students weekend is next weekend, and it's my understanding that most people's parents accompany them to this sort of thing. But since ours are currently not on this continent, I was wondering if you'd like to come along instead?"

"Assuming I can find plane tickets, then yes! I would love to." Ella pulled out her calendar to make sure she had nothing important going on.

"No need. I booked your flights yesterday. I'm emailing you the information now."

"You booked them yesterday? How did you know I would say yes?"

"Because you never pass up an opportunity to miss a day or two of class." Jesse retorted smugly. "Anyway, you'll fly into Ohio first, and then we'll catch a plane out to New York together. Sound good?"

Ella smiled. "Perfect. I have to go now though, or else I'll never be able to eat lunch. I'll see you next week, Jess."

"Bye, Ell. Love you."

Relieved that his sister had officially agreed to tag along to Accepted Students weekend, Jesse ran his fingers through his hair. As much as he loved spending time with Ella, he wondered if she suspected the real reason he had asked her to come along. Although his chances of running into Rachel Berry were slim, he knew there was no way he would be able to face her alone.

**A/N: (In case you couldn't tell, I really don't like Finn.) Thanks for reading! Chapter three shouldn't be too far away!**


	3. Chapter 3

Ella beamed as she watched her brother take in his surroundings. They were walking in Washington Square Park, surrounded by other prospective NYU students. The sun was shining and the air was filled with the music of various street performers. Jesse was rendered speechless, a goofy grin on his face.

"Happy with your decision?" she asked.

"Ecstatic." He smiled.

They had spent the morning walking around Greenwich Village, stopping in various shops and eating lunch in a café close to Washington Square. The official orientation presentation wasn't for another hour, so they were passing the time absorbing the energy of the park.

"Jesse?"

Before he could think, Jesse's head whipped around to the familiar voice that was calling his name.

He smiled. Sitting on a park bench to his left was George Clearwater: Vocal Adrenaline teammate, and Jesse's former best friend. They hadn't kept in contact since Jesse left for UCLA. With his tall, toned body and signature bleach blonde hair, George looked exactly how Jesse remembered him. George had been the one person on Vocal Adrenaline that he could actually stand, and as a result of being both talented and perceptive, he had easily taken the position of Jesse's second in command. And although he was a participant in the incident, he was also the first to tell Jesse what an idiot he was after the egging.

"I should have known you'd be here." Jesse said as he embraced his old friend.

George returned the hug with a confused look. "Yeah, but why are you here? Aren't you at UCLA? And I know Ella is still too young…" his voice drifted off as he eyed Jesse's sister, causing Ella to blush.

"Hello, Ella." George smiled and nodded politely. This only caused her to blush more deeply and stare at the ground. Jesse rolled his eyes. Although she would never admit it, Jesse knew she had been infatuated with George since she was an eighth grader. Obviously she still clung onto her schoolgirl crush.

"It's kind of a long story. Walk with me and I'll fill you in." As George agreed, Ella couldn't help but interrupt.

"I'm actually a little tired of walking. I'm going to go back to that café where we had lunch, okay Jesse? Come by when you're done."

Jesse nodded, noting his sister's discomfort around George. He watched as she made her way towards the street before turning his attention back to his friend.

"She's all grown up now." George noted softly.

Jesse smirked and nodded. "Still the same as ever, though."

For the next thirty minutes Jesse recounted his misadventures at UCLA, his failed attempts at winning Rachel back, and his past year of working, applying, and waiting. When he was done, George took a deep breath.

"Wow. Just…wow."

Jesse smirked. "I know. Not exactly what you expected, huh?"

George nodded. "And Rachel…I'm really sorry, man. I know how much you loved her."

Jesse said nothing.

After a moment, George said softly "And how much you still love her."

Jesse shot him a warning glance, and with that, the conversation was dropped.

xxx

Back at the café, Ella sighed as she sat down at the same table she had eaten at with Jesse only an hour prior. Her face still felt flushed after her brief encounter with George. Pulling out a book, she was prepared to spend the next hour or so in silence. If only the couple sitting behind her would quiet down…

"I can't believe it Kurt! We're back in New York and everything is just perfect and wonderful and we're going to Tisch!" Rachel's voice became increasingly shrill as she kept talking, and Kurt winced towards the end of her exclamation.

"It is wonderful, isn't it?" Kurt replied, smiling calmly. "And hopefully this time we'll return to Lima much happier than the last time…" he muttered.

Rachel's face fell, and she looked at her hands. Kurt instantly felt guilty.

"I'm sorry, Rachel. I didn't mean to make you upset…really, I—"

"It's fine, Kurt. Anyway, this time I'm sure we will return _much _happier than last year. I'm also the one who should be apologizing…that was my fault after all." Her eyes were still trained on her hands.

Kurt gave her hand a squeeze and offered an apologetic smile. "There's no use dwelling on the past, is there? All that matters is that we're here now, right?" Rachel returned his smile and nodded.

"To New York!" he enthusiastically raised his cup of coffee. Laughing, Rachel imitated his gesture.

"I just wish this wasn't the same weekend as prom. I was looking forward to seeing everyone's dresses." Kurt frowned into his mug.

Rachel was about to reply in agreement, when she realized that she was in fact relieved that NYU had decided to hold their Prospective Students Weekend on this particular date. She had originally planned on Finn being her prom date, but because of the breakup she would have had to have either gone alone or not at all. Her mind drifted back to the year before, when Jesse had accompanied her…_Jesse. _ Rachel instantly felt her face flush at the thought of the boy who she hadn't seen or spoken to in almost a year. In fact, she had been so preoccupied with Finn that she'd barely had any time in the past year to think about Jesse, much less see or talk to him. _How is he? Is he still consulting show choirs? Is he still in Ohio? _A million questions flashed through her mind before she turned her attention back to Kurt.

"Kurt, this may seem like a strange question…but…you wouldn't happen to know what Jesse's been up to in the past year, would you?"

Kurt nearly spat out his coffee. "Jesse? Jesse _St. James?_ The boy who insulted my flawless rendition of 'Some People'? The boy you left brokenhearted in New York almost a year ago?" Rachel shot him a look, daring him to keep going.

"I haven't seen or heard from him since Nationals. Why do you ask?" Kurt eyed her curiously.

"No reason. I was just wondering how he is."

"Probably still recovering from when you and Finn stomped on his heart on stage."

"Kurt!"

"Sorry."

Ella hadn't turned a page in her book since she'd sat down. Her mouth was wide open as she slowly realized just exactly who was sitting behind her. _She was here. She was going to Tisch. She was asking about him. _Ella felt panic begin to boil up inside of her. Jesse would be here any minute. She quickly got out her phone to shoot him a warning text. As soon as she was about to hit send, she heard the bell from the door ring, signaling that someone had entered the café. Sucking in her breath, she looked up.

_Shit. _

Jesse smiled and held his hand up to wave, but dropped it almost immediately when he looked at who was sitting behind his sister. He froze in place. His mind was screaming at him to get out, to run, much like he had the day of Nationals almost a year ago, but his feet wouldn't cooperate. He met Ella's panicked gape, and she held up her phone to signal that she had tried to warn him.

Ella was stunned. She tried to read her brother's face, but she couldn't garner what he was feeling right now. _Shit. _As she moved to stand up, she heard a gasp behind her. She closed her eyes, not wanting to witness what was about to happen.

She turned to see Rachel, mouth wide open, looking like she wasn't sure if she should smile or frown.

_Shit. Shit. Shit. _

Still standing in the doorway, Jesse met Rachel's gaze.Ella could now see the pain in his eyes as he and Rachel continued to stare at each other. Ella jumped when she heard Rachel begin to speak.

"Jesse…I…I'm…I'm so sorry."

And with that, the petite brunette was in tears.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys! I am **_**so **_**sorry about the delay in this update. I haven't been home for more than two days at a time in almost a month, so it's been hard to find time to write. Updates will be more frequent starting now though, so don't worry! Thank you to everyone who is reading and to those who have reviewed! :)**

Jesse was still frozen to the spot as Rachel stood next to the table she had been sharing with Kurt, sobbing into her hands. Kurt looked just as stunned as both Jesse and Ella, and instead of attempting to calm Rachel down, he sat in his chair, eyes flickering back and forth between Rachel and Jesse. An awkward and uncomfortable silence had filled the air, and it was clear to Jesse that unless he said something, things would only grow more uncomfortable.

Clearing his throat, he took a step towards Rachel. His eyes locked with Ella's for a second, and he gave her a nod to let her know he was okay. Ella returned the nod and sat back down in her chair. As Jesse continued to make his way towards Rachel, his mind was racing for things to say. Part of him was still incredibly angry and hurt with how they had left things, but another part of him just wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be fine. As he finally reached her, he lifted a hand and brought it down to rest on one of her shoulders.

"Rachel."

Still sniffling, she looked up from her hands and into Jesse's eyes. There, she saw half a dozen emotions: hurt, sadness, anger, confusion, shock...and a hint of relief. She attempted to speak again, but her lip began to tremble and once again her face was in her hands. Jesse sighed and placed his other hand on her other shoulder.

"Rach—" This time he was cut off.

"Jesse, I'm…I'm so sorry. You must h-hate me for last year, and I-I really want a chance to explain things to you. Please…just…just have dinner with me tonight and we can talk. Or even just coffee. Please? I know I can't apologize enough, but…" she began to tear up again, and wiped at her eyes with her hands.

Jesse was taken aback. _She wanted to talk? _After a year of silence between them, the girl he had tried so hard to forget about was standing in front of him begging him to have dinner with her. And she was in Greenwich Village…did that mean she was going to NYU too? He didn't know how to react. He wanted to be angry, wanted to shout at her and tell her no—she had missed her chance a year ago when she broke his heart with no explanation or closure. But he was suddenly filled with memories of when he had been in the same position a year ago…desperate for a chance to explain himself, to apologize.

"Dinner. 8 o'clock. That's it." His voice was so quiet; Rachel had to look up again to be sure she had heard correctly. She immediately broke into a tearful smile.

"Oh, Jesse…thank you. Kurt and I have to go to a presentation now at NYU but I'll call you when that's over and we can talk about where to meet, okay?"

"Don't bother. He's going to the same presentation." This time it was Ella who spoke, standing up from her chair and coming to rest at her brother's side. Her face was cold as she surveyed Rachel.

Rachel was immediately filled with panic. She hadn't even noticed the girl before, but now that she did, an overwhelming sense of jealousy boiled up inside of her. She was beautiful, with long, golden hair that fell in neat curls down the back of her simple navy blue dress. _He had someone new. _

"This is Ella," Jesse began, putting an arm around his sister. Rachel felt her panic increasing.

"You never met her because she goes to boarding school in California. I wanted her far away from Vocal Adrenaline."

Ella rolled her eyes at her brother before noticing Rachel's face. Offering up her best St. James smirk, she ruffled Jesse's hair before addressing Rachel.

"Relax. I'm his sister."

Rachel instantly felt relieved, but also embarrassed that Ella had seen her jealousy.

"Nice to meet you." She managed to say, before averting her eyes to the floor.

Ella smirked again. "I've heard so much about you." She replied dryly, never taking her eyes off of Rachel.

An awkward silence loomed over them once again, and Ella seized the opportunity.

"So, you're going to NYU? So is Jesse. He's been working his ass off this past year. You know, kind of rebuilding his life. He's got a full ride. He was accepted to Julliard too."

Jesse could sense his sister's tone becoming more hostile, and he gave her shoulder a warning squeeze.

"Ella."

Rachel was at first offended by Ella's apparent hostility towards her, but then realized that she couldn't blame her. Rachel had hurt her brother, and Ella was being protective. She had no reason to like Rachel.

For the first time since Jesse had walked in, Kurt spoke up. "Well, we'd better get going. Maybe we'll see you guys at the presentation. C'mon Rachel." He tugged at his friend's arm, eager to escape the café.

"Um, right. Congratulations, by the way, Jesse. That's very impressive." Rachel's voice was quiet, and she struggled to meet Jesse's eyes. "If we don't see you there, I'll call you once it's over to talk about dinner, okay?"

Jesse nodded curtly. "Thanks. See you later."

Kurt just about dragged Rachel out of the café and around the block before stopping her and taking her face in his hands.

"Rachel. Talk to me. Are you okay? What happened in there? Dinner?" Kurt studied his friend's face, trying to find hints of her emotions.

"I feel so horrible, Kurt. I broke his heart and never offered any explanation. Seeing him again…it made me wonder if I made some huge mistake a year ago. I never expected to feel like that if I ever saw him again, and now we're both going to Tisch, and…I can't stop thinking about what could have been, and…" she was on the verge of tears again, and Kurt took her into his arms.

"Rachel, it's going to be okay. I'm proud of you for wanting to apologize. Just know that it might not be so easy for him to forgive you, okay? He looked pretty hurt in there."

Sniffling, Rachel nodded into Kurt's chest. "I know. Thank you, Kurt."

Back at the café, Ella turned to face her brother. "I don't think this is a good idea."

"Relax, Ella. It's just dinner."

"Do you not remember how awful you felt a year ago? How you thought your life was over? Remember who made you feel that way? That girl! And now you're just agreeing to go to dinner with her?"

"Ella, a year ago I was in her position. I wanted a chance to explain myself and apologize. Fortunately, she gave me that chance. Yes, everything turned out horribly in the end for me, but I'm not going to be a hypocrite and not let her apologize. Besides, I'm curious as to what she has to say. Plus, we're both going to Tisch. It's possible we'll have classes together. I don't want to have bad blood with a classmate before school even starts."

Ella studied her brother's face for a moment. "Damn you for being so mature. You better make her grovel though." She sighed and went to go pick up her things from her table when she stopped short. "Wait. What am I supposed to do for dinner now?"

Jesse smirked. "I'm sure George would be more than happy to keep you company."

Ella's face turned crimson. "Don't you dare."

Jesse laughed. "C'mon. We'll be late."

As they left the café, Jesse thoughts drifted back to what Ella had said. To be honest, he wasn't sure this was a good idea either. If anything, he could leave dinner tonight even more heartbroken than a year before. He mentally kicked himself. Why could he never say no to Rachel?


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I am **_**so **_**sorry about the huge delay in updating this. Thank you to everyone who's reading and/or reviewing! **

Rachel hardly heard a thing the admissions director said throughout the entire presentation; her mind was still racing from what had taken place at the café only an hour prior. She mentally kicked herself for completely losing her composure not only in public, but in front of Jesse. Attempting to be discrete about it, she casually surveyed the large room they were seated in, hoping to catch a glimpse of a familiar head of curls. As she turned her head at an almost 180 degree angle, she felt a hand grasp her forearm.

"Rachel. What are you doing."

Whipping her head back around the meet Kurt's raised eyebrows, Rachel lowered her eyes sheepishly.

"Nothing. I'm just…I wanted to see, um, how many people are here. That's all."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "You look like an owl. Stop daydreaming about Jesse and pay attention to the presentation."

Rachel's head shot up to deliver a withering glare, but Kurt's focus had already returned to the speaker at the front of the room. Sighing inwardly, Rachel attempted to focus on the words coming out of the presenter's mouth.

Six rows back, Ella watched as Rachel conspicuously searched the room for, she assumed, Jesse. Rolling her eyes, she looked to her left to see if her brother had noticed. Before she could whisper something to him, she realized that a familiar pair of eyes were studying her. Sitting on the other side of Jesse was George, paying just as much attention to the presentation as Ella. He raised his eyebrows at her, looking back and forth between her and Rachel.

_Does he know? _he mouthed, nodding at an oblivious looking Jesse.

Blushing slightly, Ella nodded. _Tell you later, _she mouthed back.

George flashed a smile at her before turning his attention back to the presentation, causing Ella's blush to deepen. She focused her gaze back on Rachel, who seemed to have given up on trying to locate Jesse and instead was also now paying attention to the information being presented (or at least pretending to). Ella sighed and was about the check the time when applause broke out all around her, signaling the end of the presentation. Breathing a sigh of relief, she was about to stand up when she noticed a short brunette making her way over to their row. She gave Jesse's arm a warning squeeze as Rachel and Kurt came further into view.

"Jesse! So, about dinner, I—"

"There's a vegan place right around the corner from here. I figured that would be our best option." Jesse replied curtly.

Ella was momentarily taken aback by her brother's cold tone. Maybe this dinner was a mistake—Jesse already seemed emotional and on edge, and there was no telling how he would react to what Rachel had to say. Ella looked at Rachel. She looked hurt, but not at all surprised by Jesse's words.

"Okay. That sounds lovely. Shall we go, then?" she replied softly, not meeting Jesse's eyes. He gave a short nod in response before turning to face Ella.

"I'll be fine. It's going to be hard, but I'll be fine. I promise to text you if I need you at all, okay?" he whispered, giving his sister a small hug. He then turned his attention to George.

"I promise to fill you in later. Or, better yet, Ella can do that. Since I'm ditching her for dinner tonight would you mind accompanying her? I don't want her wandering around by herself at night."

If looks could kill, Jesse would be six feet underground from the glare Ella was sending his way.

George nodded. "Sure, man. I'll be happy to hang out with her. Text me if you need me, okay? Good luck." Turning towards a fuming Ella, George extended his hand. "Ready to go?"

Ella's expression softened significantly as she looked up at George with a flushed face and mumbled in agreement. Jesse chuckled to himself as he watched his sister and friend exit the room before he remembered who he was about to go to dinner with. He turned back around to face Rachel who was still standing there with Kurt.

Noticing that Jesse had once again turned his attention back to them, Kurt took this as his cue to leave.

"Well, I'm going to go back to the hotel, order room service, and watch horrible reality television. You two have fun." He gave Rachel's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before turning and leaving. Rachel gave a small wave in return before taking a deep breath and looking up at Jesse. "Lead the way," she said as brightly as she could, gesturing towards the doorway. Jesse simply gave another short nod and began walking. As they walked down the street, neither of them said a word, but walked together in perfect silence. When they reached the restaurant, they were seated right away. After both of their waters were delivered and they had ordered their entrees, Rachel cleared her throat and began to speak.

"The reason I asked you to have dinner with me Jesse, is because I want to explain what happened last year at Nationals," she began. Jesse's face remained stony as he listened.

"On the plane to New York, I decided that I couldn't have any distractions while I was there—that meant no boys. That's why I didn't reply to your texts. I really wanted to, but I promised myself I would remain focused on my goals and on winning Nationals. The first day we were there, Finn made it clear that he was intent on getting back together with me. I told him the same thing I'm telling you now: that I couldn't have any distractions. As you know all too well, Finn isn't so great at following directions or requests. He…he took me on this big planned out date throughout New York. He convinced me to go under the guise that it was a "work date"…although his intentions were clear from the beginning. We ate at Sardi's…oh my goodness, Jesse! I can't believe I didn't tell you this the second I saw you at Nationals. Guess who was in Sardi's at the same time we were?"

Jesse was fuming at the mention of Hudson using the city to his advantage to woo Rachel. He wasn't quite sure where she was going with this story, but he humored her anyway. "Bernadette Peters."

"Close! You'll actually find this quite funny as I was once convinced she was my biological mother as I'm sure you remember. Patti LuPone! It was so exciting. I talked to her and everything and she made me promise her I would never give up on my dreams." Rachel was now beaming at the memory of her chance meeting with one of her idols. Jesse smiled slightly. On the inside he was ecstatic for Rachel, but he had a stern showface in place, and there was no way he was letting it slip.

"Anyway…at the end of the date, Finn tried to kiss me, but I told him that I couldn't do it, and walked away. I had promised myself no distractions, and Finn was proving to be a very big one. I was so confused about my feelings. I had feelings for you, but I also had feelings for Finn…and I didn't know what to do. Right before Finn and I went on stage to sing our duet, he confronted me about how I was no longer interested in him. I told him that I was…I couldn't change how I felt. But Broadway and New York was my dream, and I told him that I wasn't going to let anyone or anything stand in the way of that."

"And then he kissed you." Rachel had never heard Jesse's voice sound so dark and hateful. She nodded sheepishly. "Yes. Then everything changed." Tears were starting to well in her eyes.

"When I saw you in that lobby, Jesse…I was so surprised. I couldn't believe that you cared about me that much to travel all the way to New York just to see me sing."

"You didn't look too happy to see me." Jesse's eyes were dark.

"I wasn't happy to see you. I knew that since you were there, you had seen it."

"Seen it?"

"The kiss."

"Right. I saw it. After I flew all the way to New York just to see you sing, because I believed we were together. You know, after you let me kiss you the week before. I watched you kiss Hudson _unstaged _in front of a National audience. I sat idly by and took Hudson's idiotic rambling about how you two were so in love, while you made no effort to defend me." the volume of Jesse's voice rose as he spoke, causing Rachel to wince.

"Jesse, please understand. I was _so _confused. I had feelings for two people, and they weren't sorted out. I had wanted Finn for so long. He was safe. Once he kissed me on stage, I thought it was a done deal. I thought I would go home to Lima, tell you it wasn't going to work out, and we could end things as friends. But once I saw you standing there in the lobby, I knew that wasn't possible." Tears were now streaming down Rachel's face.

"Remember how you said egging me was your one great regret?"

Jesse nodded.

"Nationals is mine."

Jesse raised his eyebrows. "How so?"

"That kiss cost me more than Nationals. It cost me you."

Jesse just stared, waiting for Rachel to offer up more of an explanation.

"Jesse, not having you in my life is terrible. I-I know we've never really been in each other's lives as only friends, but I really wish we could be. Especially now that we're both going to the same school…it's like we're getting a fresh start. I know you probably hate me, and nothing I've said tonight is going to change your mind, but if you're willing to give me a chance and forgive me, I'd really like to be your friend."

Jesse processed everything Rachel had said. He studied her tear stained face. She was looking down at her hands which were laying on the table.

"Did you really meet Patti LuPone?"

Rachel's head shot up, a smile lighting up her face.

"Does that mean…?"

"I'm willing to try and be friends with you, Rachel. I don't think it's going to be easy, though. I've spent the past year getting over you and rebuilding my life. Still, you forgave me and gave me another chance when I came back into your life a year ago. What kind of a person would I be if I didn't do the same?"

Rachel squealed in delight, getting up from her side of the table to wrap her arms around Jesse.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Jesse hadn't expected a hug from Rachel ever again, much less tonight. He returned her embrace and smiled into her hair at how familiar and comfortable it felt. As Rachel returned to her seat on the other side of the table, a huge grin still plastered on her face, Jesse cursed inwardly. Being friends with Rachel Berry was not going to be easy. Especially when Jesse realized that the past year he'd spent getting over her had been spent in vain. He was just as in love with her as he'd been almost a year ago to the day.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you so much for reviewing, favoriting, and just reading! Here's the next chapter! **

"Ella, you need to relax. He'll be fine."

Ella's head shot up from looking at her phone for about the hundredth time that evening. She mumbled an apology and tried to avoid George's inquisitive gaze.

"I know you're worried about him, but Jesse's strong. He knows how to take care of himself." George's voice was calm and soothing. He and Ella were seated across from each other in a booth at a practically empty bistro, waiting for their food to arrive.

Ella scoffed. "Yeah, except when it comes to Rachel."

George offered a small smile. "So I've heard. The past year wasn't his best, huh?"

Ella solemnly shook her head. "I've never seen him so torn up over something before. And he _just _got his life back on track and is starting to get back to normal. Now she's here and everything's unraveling again." She ran her fingers through her now messy curls and sighed. "I just don't want to see him get hurt all over again."

George nodded understandingly. "I understand your concern. I still consider Jesse to be my good friend, so I worry about him too. But I think he's learned enough in the past year that he won't let himself get hurt like that again." He reached across the table and took Ella's hand in his. "If you ever need someone to talk to or to knock some sense into Jesse, you've always got me." He offered her a warm smile and squeezed her hand reassuringly, causing Ella's face to blush a deep scarlet.

"Thank you." She said quietly, returning his smile. At that moment their food arrived, and Ella was grateful, yet slightly disappointed, that they could focus on something else for the time being.

x x x

After the bill had been paid (Rachel had insisted they go dutch), Jesse and Rachel left the restaurant, both much happier than they had been when they entered. They strolled along for a while, neither really knowing where they were headed, until Rachel broke their pleasant silence.

"When do you go back?"

Startled out of his reverie, Jesse took a moment to process her question.

"To Ohio? Ella and I fly back tomorrow. Why?"

Rachel pouted. "Oh. Kurt and I don't go back until Monday morning. I was hoping you were staying longer too so that we could hang out together in the city."

Jesse smiled. "We'll have the next four years and beyond to do that."

His words instantly changed Rachel's expression, and she laughed jovially.

"This summer is going to be so hard. I'm going to spend every day wishing I was already here."

Jesse chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Don't forget, you have to graduate high school first."

Rachel suddenly grabbed his arm. "Come."

Jesse studied her face, trying to find meaning in her vague request. "Come?"

"To my graduation! You'll be in Ohio, won't you?"

Jesse considered Rachel's idea. He _would _be in Ohio…but should he really be going to her graduation? What would her teammates and friends think? What would Hudson do?

Rachel could see Jesse was hesitant. "Oh please, Jesse? Tell Ella she's invited too! I feel like we got off on the wrong foot earlier. I really would like to try and be friends with her."

Jesse sighed. "When is it?"

Rachel smiled hopefully. "May 25th."

"I'll have to check to make sure I'm not working, but I'll try to make it. I'll mention it to Ella, but no promises on getting her to come along. She's really protective, if you didn't notice before."

Rachel nodded. "I understand. She's just being a good sister. Besides, it's not like she doesn't have reasons to hate me," she sighed. "But I really do hope she decides to come along. I'd really like to get to know her."

Jesse nodded. "I'll see what I can do. Hey, have you guys had prom yet this year?"

Rachel nodded sadly. "It's actually this weekend. Kurt and I are missing it to be here. I don't really mind that much though, I would have gone alone."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. One prom was enough for me, and last year was really fun. Well, until Finn ruined everything."

"Sounds like a typical day for him."

"Jesse…"

"Sorry. But he did ruin prom. He had no right to attack me like that, or to ruin your night."

"I know. Trust me, I told him that later on. He claimed he was just concerned that you were 'overstepping your boundaries'."

"And how was I doing that? We were dancing! I was your date. _He _was there with his _girlfriend._"

"Well, I think it was more the way we were dancing that made him upset…" Rachel began to blush, remembering Jesse's arms around her waist and his breath tickling her neck.

"Ah, right. Well, you were there with me, meaning he needed to mind his own business. What we were doing was hardly vulgar, especially compared to his idea of public displays of affection…"

Rachel winced at Jesse's allusion to Nationals. "Jesse…let's not go there, okay?"

Jesse sighed. "Fine. Sorry."

Before they knew it, they were stopped in front of Rachel's hotel.

"Well, this is me," she said awkwardly, not really sure how she should say goodbye. A hug? A friendly wave?

Jesse stood in front of her, hands in his pockets. "Yeah, I guess it is. Thanks for tonight, Rachel. I'm glad we could work things out."

Rachel smiled and nodded up at him. "Me too, Jesse. Thank you for agreeing to come along. I wasn't sure you would at first."

"I wasn't either. But I'm glad I did."

They stood there for a moment in awkward silence, neither one knowing what to do next.

"Well, I guess I'll see you at your graduation. Have a good rest of the school year."

Rachel nodded. "Thank you. I'll, um, email you the details about graduation soon, okay?"

"Sounds good." Jesse had every intention of simply turning around and walking away, but was halted by Rachel's arms slipping around his waist for a hug. He sucked in his breath slightly, but returned the embrace.

Rachel pulled back and looked up at him one last time. "See you soon, Jesse." She gave a small wave and turned, disappearing into the lobby of the hotel.

Letting out a deep sigh, Jesse ran his fingers through his hair. He'd see her again in a little less than a month. He typed out a quick text to Ella, letting her know he was on his way back to the hotel and that things had gone well.

He decided to wait until later to tell her about Rachel's invitation to her graduation. He assumed Ella would still be upset with him about setting up an evening for her and George, and wasn't really in the mood for one of her lectures.

As he was about to hit send, he stopped himself, and instead saved the message as a draft. He decided to keep walking, taking in his surroundings as he went. This was going to be his home. _Finally_.

_It's also going to be her home. _He heard a voice in the back of his head say. He sighed once more. Sharing New York with Rachel was going to be difficult. But then again, what was New York without Rachel Berry?


	7. Chapter 7

"I can't believe I agreed to come along to this," Ella grumbled, smoothing down her pale green sundress.

"Oh, hush. If you didn't care, you wouldn't have straightened your hair for it." Jesse remarked, amused.

Ella rolled her eyes and ran her fingers through her usually curly, now flat-ironed golden locks.

"It's a graduation ceremony, Jesse. I wanted to look nice."

He chuckled to himself before turning off the engine and exiting his Range Rover into the McKinley parking lot, Ella in tow. They had arrived early in order to get a decent parking spot, but were surprised to find they weren't the only ones with that idea—hundreds of parents were currently standing in the sweltering, now full, parking lot, fanning themselves with hats, hands, and any other spare objects available.

"What time did they say we would be allowed in?" Jesse heard a man behind him ask.

Jesse turned at the familiar voice, and caught sight of the Berry men—both dressed in suits and ties. Just as Jesse was about to turn his attention back to Ella, he locked eyes with the taller of the two and froze for a moment. He watched as Rachel's father placed a hand on her daddy's shoulder in order to alert him to Jesse's presence. Jesse felt his stomach drop—did Rachel not tell her fathers about their reunion?

He turned to Ella, ready to whisper words of warning, but was instead clapped on the shoulder.

"Jesse! It's so good to see you. Rachel told us she invited you. She'll be so glad you're here."

Surprised, Jesse smiled in return as he reached out to shake the older man's hand.

"It's great to see you too, Mr. Berry. This is my sister, Ella."

As Jesse played catch up with Rachel's fathers, Ella pulled out her phone, surprised to find a text from George.

_Good luck today. Go easy on him. _

She smiled to herself, surprised but grateful that George had thought of her.

It was then that a parent somewhere ahead of them cried out "They're opening the doors!"

Turning her attention back to the people around her, Ella proceeded to make her way towards the gymnasium with Jesse and Rachel's fathers.

x x x

The ceremony lasted about an hour, with various speakers and musical accompaniments courtesy of the WMHS Marching Band. As the class of 2012 moved their tassels to the left, the entire audience stood and cheered. Jesse spotted Rachel standing on the risers, laughing with the rest of her classmates.

Moments later, Rachel was throwing herself into the arms of her fathers, both of whom had cried during the majority of the ceremony.

"We're so proud of you, sweetie."

Wiping a tear from her eye, Rachel giggled. "Thank you, daddy. I love you guys."

Smiling to himself, Jesse made his way over to the happy family.

"Congratulations," he said, his signature smirk fully in place.

"Jesse!" Rachel squealed, throwing her arms around his neck. "I'm so glad you came!"

Flustered, Jesse returned the embrace before pulling back to motion awkwardly to his sister. "You remember Ella."

Rachel smiled broadly as she pulled Ella into a hug. "It's so good to see you again. Thank you so much for coming!"

Touched by Rachel's genuineness, Ella smiled as she pulled away. "Congrats on graduating."

Rachel's fathers interjected, informing the trio that they would be off and expected to see all three of them at their house for dinner later. As the two men left, another voice pierced through the crowd.

"Rachel!"

Jesse turned to see Kurt pushing through the throngs of people to make his way to his best friend. He watched as the two hugged, each crying a little as they laughed together.

"Hi again, Jesse." Kurt nodded, once he and Rachel were done hugging. Jesse smiled and returned the nod.

"Rachel, I know you probably have plans with your dads or Jesse and Ella, but Mr. Schue's treating the Glee club at Breadstix, and it wouldn't be the same without our star performer…"

Rachel laughed. "I'd love to, Kurt, but I'm the one who invited Jesse and Ella, so I think it's only fair that I have lunch with them."

Kurt nodded in understanding. "Well, we'll miss you, but understandable. Good to see you guys again. I'll call you later, Rachel."

As Kurt was about to turn to leave, he was bumped into from behind by none other than his step brother.

"Oh, Kurt. There you are. My mom and Burt want pictures or something and sent me to find you."

Kurt opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Finn's exclamation of "What the hell is _he _doing here?"

Jesse sighed, and Ella smirked, eager to see what Jesse's oaf of a rival would do next. Jesse was about to reply with a scathing remark, but was interrupted by Rachel stepping in front of him.

"_I _invited him, Finn. Is that a problem?"

Finn's brow was furrowed in frustration as he looked down at his ex-girlfriend.

"Well, yeah, kinda! I didn't exactly want St. Douche at my graduation."

Jesse rolled his eyes, but a fuming Ella spoke up.

"In case you haven't noticed, this is _Rachel's _graduation too, and she can invite whoever the hell she wants. Second of all, just because you have jealousy issues over being clearly inferior to my brother, that doesn't mean you can turn _my _last name into some petty insult. Thirdly, Rachel is no longer your girlfriend, so you have no say over who she invites or spends her time with. Now, instead of trying to start a fight and ruin yet another important event for Rachel, why don't you go back to your family and leave us alone."

Shocked, Jesse suppressed the laugh that was building up inside of him. He had never been more proud of his sister. A gaping Finn turned to Kurt for help, but he was too busy biting his lip to keep from laughing.

"I think you should go, Finn." Rachel said steadily.

Finn's mouth formed a thin line before storming off, dragging a laughing Kurt behind him.

"Ugh, I cannot _stand_ people like that. Sorry, Rachel." Ella offered a sympathetic shrug.

"Why are you apologizing? Everything you said was true." Rachel offered the younger girl a smile.

Jesse was beaming—he was ecstatic that Ella was being nice and that she and Rachel seemed to be hitting it off.

"Rachel, you must be starving. Let's go now." Ella insisted, tugging both Rachel and Jesse towards the doorway. Laughing, Rachel happily agreed.

With Ella a good few yards ahead of them, Rachel slipped her arm through Jesse's.

"Thank you for being here, Jesse. It means a lot to me."

Jesse smiled down at Rachel.

"I wouldn't have missed it."

**A/N: Okay, I believe some apologies are in order: first; I'm so sorry I haven't updated this in almost two months. I'm a senior in high school so things are pretty hectic for me right now. Second; I'm sorry for the severe lack of quality in this chapter. Next one will be better, I promise! **


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